When To Bottle

[maxvonrooster]

Hi there
this is my second post and would like to know when to bottle a brew
i put down my first brew last saturday afternoon(muntons irish style cream ale) i like kilkenny and the brew shop said this is pretty close
it started bubbling last sunday arvo or monday morning and is still doing its thing now7 days later, is this normal or how long will it bubble (make the water rise and fall in the air lock)
i havent got any hydrometers, i was just going to wait until it stops bubbling add 1 day and bottle
thanks heaps
greg

 

[Pollux]

My advise is to go out and purchase a hydrometer.

The airlock can not be a reliable source of indication re fermentation, even after fermentation ceases it will bubble as CO2 is released from the beer.

 

[smudge]

Gregg,

Without a hydrometer I'd wait till fermentation seems finished....then wait ONE WEEK. Won't hurt and may save some
bottle bombs.

Without the hydrometer you are playing Russian Roulette.

Cheers,
smudge

 

[pokolbinguy]

Get yourself a hydrometer. You can get them from bigw/kmart/woolies/home brew shop etc

Then once you have done that.....once you get a reading the same for 2 consecutive days then it should be right to bottle.

You can't trust the air locks bubbles are the lid seal may give and the bubbles won't continue.

Rough time frame will be between 7-10 days tho for primary ferment, could be longer or shorter dependent on yeast strain, temperature and the amount of fermentables (sugars) in the wort.

Pok

P.S. Fill in your location and you may even be able to score a hydrometer off a local brewer...if not only to borrow

 

[Pollux]

Use the tube it comes in as a vessel to perform the tests.

Draw some wort/beer from the tap, drop the hydrometer in, spin it to release any bubbles and take your reading from the top of the meniscus.

EDIT: I'm quite sure there was another post there a second ago...

 

[bullsneck]

You could wait for the beer to clear, that's a fair indication that fermentation is complete. Your bottled beer will be clearer, too.

 

[brando]

Gregg,

When I was new to brewing I was lead to believe that you should bottle it as soon as the bubbling airlock slowed right down.

I now know that this is not the case.

Assuming you can brew in the right temp range, a good rule of thumb is to leave it ferment for another 7 days after the bubbling has slowed. I normally let it ferment for ten to twelve days.

 

[buttersd70]

I once saw a photo of Domonsuras coolroom...there was a shard of glass that was the length of a longkneck, and about an inch across, that buried itself a full 2 inches into the wall. If that had of hit a human, it could have been fatal. No jokes, no exageration. It was from a bottle bomb (of someone elses beer he was minding).

Pony up the cash for a hydrometer. Seriously. It's the #1 absolute most important bit of kit you can have.

 

[manticle]

I think my last one cost $12.95. How much is a new eye again?

 

[maxvonrooster]

thanks guys
i might go talk to my local home brew shop about a hydro to play it safe
greg

 

[LLoyd]

Bit restrained for a post about hydrometers Butters....

 

[thylacine]

Hi there
this is my second post and would like to know when to bottle a brew
i put down my first brew last saturday afternoon(muntons irish style cream ale) i like kilkenny and the brew shop said this is pretty close
it started bubbling last sunday arvo or monday morning and is still doing its thing now7 days later, is this normal or how long will it bubble (make the water rise and fall in the air lock)
i havent got any hydrometers, i was just going to wait until it stops bubbling add 1 day and bottle
thanks heaps
greg

Other than daily temperature control monitoring, I close the door on the fermenter/s and leave them alone for three weeks. (ales: 1040-1055 OG)

Higher gravity receives four weeks.

 

[maxvonrooster]

hello again
well i bought a hydrometer and tested it today, it read 1016?,after the reading i tasted the beer it didnt have much kick just like low alcohol stuff you would buy in a bottle shop but clear and smelt like beer, after i closed the tap from pouring my test the air lock went bloop? is this all normal and should i bottle it now? brewed 5/9/09 and will the flavour improve when i bottle it? i am going to use carb drops in the long necks
thanks
greg

 

[manticle]

Hi Gregg.

Usually it's recommended to take gravity readings when you think ferment is done over 3 consecutive days to make sure they are the same. If it's still dropping, it's still fermenting. The airlock may bloop even when ferment is done so ignore that.

There is a qualifier here - you may get the same readings three days in a row but they may be unusually high. If this is the case then you have a stuck ferment. You should have a ballpark figure for where you expect your final gravity to finish up - most straight kit and kilo brews will probably be between 1006 and 1012. If you start adding things which contain unfermentable elements like malt or brew enhancers etc then you can expect it to be a bit higher.

However - this is the tricky bit for new brewers but I guarantee it's worth it. Once your brew is fermented you CAN bottle it straight away but I recommend leaving it another few days then placing the fermenter in the fridge for a few days more. While it seems that means longer before you can taste the brew, that maturation period before bottling actually means the beer tastes better sooner once bottled. It will also be clearer and contain less sediment.

The reason for this is that yeast cleans up various unwanted flavours once it's finished eating the sugar and the cold of the fridge will help drop yeast out of suspension, leaving clearer beer.

The flavour will improve with time in the bottles and carbonation too.

 

[maxvonrooster]

thanks manticle
i will take readings over the next 3 more days it has a no5 brew enhancer so my guess is it will be a bit higher that is great to know and has given me reasurance
cheers
greg